(Standing:  L-R) Jamal Akopko, Paul Varilla, Jamal Dantzler, Osay Williams, Floyd Campbell, Issac Sims, Nolan Williams, Mautez Arman  (Front:  L-R) Fred Jackson, Jermaine Hiler, Justin Parnell

SECOND ROUND CITY PLAYOFFS

@ SIMEON HS

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 10

Click on links at the bottom of the page for game stats.

Keep your eye on the pictures in the Album section!

Foreman          6-0

Lincoln Park    5-1

Von Steuben   5-1 

Taft                 4-2

Uplift              3-3

Lane                 2-4

Senn                2-4

Payton             1-5

North Grand   0-6

Northside       0-6 

STATE SECTIONAL TEAMS

Skokie (Niles West) Sectional (21)

Manager: David Rosengard
Phone: 847-626-2801
Fax: 847-626-3840
E-mail: davros@niles-hs.k12.il.us

*Addison (A. Trail)
Chicago (Lane)
Chicago (Mather)
Chicago (Northside)
Chicago (Taft)
Chicago (Von Steuben)
Des Plaines (Maine West)
Elk Grove Village (E.G.)
Evanston (Twp.)
Franklin Park-Northlake (Leyden)
*Glenview (Glenbrook South)
Mt. Prospect (Prospect)
Niles (Notre Dame)
Northbrook (Glenbrook North)
Park Ridge (Maine East)
*Park Ridge (Maine South)
Roselle (Lake Park)
Skokie (Niles North)
Skokie (Niles West)
*Wilmette (Loyola Academy)
Winnetka (New Trier)

Von Steuben head coach Vince Carter had a simple message for his team following consecutive careless passes in the third quarter of the Panthers’ game against Dunbar:

“We don’t take plays off in the playoffs.”

Von Steuben responded to their coach’s claim, turning up the pressure en route to a 53-42 victory over Dunbar Wednesday afternoon in the opening round of the Public League Playoffs. Jamal Dantzler scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to carry the Panthers.

“I try to make them think that every game is important,” Carter said. “We knew they were going to press, and my starters had to play almost the whole game, so they know what I want.”

Dantzler was a force down low for Von Steuben, scoring 13 points in the first half. All of his field goals were in the paint, and the senior forward added five points from the free throw line.

“Over the weekend we had a few games, and I played terrible,” Dantzler said. “Being a captain, I had to come out and set the tone. As I play hard, they lead.”

Dantzler’s hard play helped Von Steuben on a 21-6 run, which spanned over the first two quarters. Jermaine Hiller added eight points and Nolan Williams chipped in with seven for the Panthers (17-6).

“Jamal was very aggressive today, and that’s what we needed,” said Carter, who is in his 11th city playoff. “This is one of my best groups that I’ve had in a long time. They have a lot of camaraderie and they play well together, and I don’t have to do too much motivating.”

Michael Mack led Dunbar (9-14) with 15 points, seven rebounds and four steals.

Saturday January 23, 2010

 1:00             Chicago St. Benedict v Chicago Senn

2:30            Wheaton Warrenville South v Chicago Lincoln Park

4:00            Niles West v Chicago Morgan Park

5:30            Wheaton North v Chicago Von Steuben

7:00            Chicago Leo v Chicago Foreman 

Sunday January 24, 2010

 1:00            Chicago Providence-St. Mel v Chicago Uplift

2:30            Chicago Highland Park v Chicago Harper

4:00            Morton v Chicago Farragut

5:30            Riverside-Brookfield v  Chicago Curie

7:00            Evanston v Chicago Corliss 

There will be no pass list.  Admission for the entire day will be $8.00 adults and $2.00 for all students.  High School students should have proper ID.  

Sometimes what you don’t know is liberating.

It was for Von Steuben. The Panthers had a last-minute replacement at the MLK Dream Classic Saturday at Young, forced to play Holy Redeemer out of Milwaukee after Hope failed to show.

Von Steuben took the change in stride. Senior forward Jamal Dantzler scored 13 points as the short-handed No. 14 Panthers routed the Young Coggs 59-35.

“I did some Internet scouting on (originally scheduled opponent Minneapolis) North, about their top scorers and that sort of thing, but it didn’t really matter,” Von Steuben coach Vince Carter said. “We could have played Oak Hill, and it wouldn’t have made any difference to the kids. They’re usually pretty nervous whoever we play.”

Von Steuben dominated despite playing without star senior guard Jermaine Hiler, out with an ankle injury, and starting center Floyd Campbell, who was sick.

Dantzler scored 10 points in the first half to stake the Panthers to a 35-19 lead the break. It continued the senior’s strong play, who opened eyes and was named all-tournament in leading the Panthers to a third-place finish at Proviso West.

“It’s because of the hard practices,” Dantzler said of his strong play. “I don’t take any practices off. “We didn’t really know anything about them, about what they ran, so we just went out and played and discovered what we could about them as the game went on.”

Dantzler’s three-point play off a missed free throw pushed the Panthers’ lead to 42-22 early in the third quarter. He did not play in the fourth quarter as Von raced out to a 48-27 lead after the third quarter.

Isaac Sims contributed 12 points and Nolan Williams scored nine points for the Panthers. Paul Varilla scored seven points and Justin Parnell finished with five points.

Evan Lewis scored 12 points to lead the Young Coggs (11-3).

In Von Steuben's loss to Lincoln Park on Tuesday, the Panthers struggled early offensively, scoring just 25 points through the first three quarters. Coach Vince Carter vowed it wouldn't happen again, and his team backed him up on Tuesday in a 66-45 win at Lane.

"I told them we needed to play harder in the first and come out with more energy," said Carter.

Justin Parnell ensured a hot start for the No. 14 Panthers (12-4, 5-1) all by himself. Parnell opened the first quarter with four consecutive three-pointers, as the Von Steuben raced out to a 16-3 lead.

"I was hesitant against Lincoln Park until the fourth quarter," said Parnell, who led the Panthers with 16 points. "I knew I had to come out early and knock down some shots."

With his team boasting a big lead, Carter went to the bench early. That was all Lane needed to get back in the game.

The Indians closed out the first quarter strong, using a 13-3 run to cut the Von Steuben lead to one midway through the second quarter. Carter quickly inserted his starters back in, and the Panthers closed out the half on a 13-4 run to take a 10-point lead into halftime.

The Panthers turned up the defensive pressure in the second half, and the lead only grew. Carter pointed to a switch from the zone defense he ran against Lincoln Park to man-to-man for his team's success.

"Everyone says how athletic we are, and I guess they're right," Carter said. "I need to start coaching to our strengths."

DeMarko Nash knew where Von Steuben was at its most vulnerable.

“Our coaches told us they did not do a good job defensively of coming off ball screens, so that’s what I did,” Nash said. “I just kept attacking them there.”

The Lincoln Park guard scored 13 of his game-high 18 points in the third quarter as the Lions built a 13-point advantage and withstood a furious Von Steuben rally to knock off the No. 14 Panthers 52-47 at North Park University Tuesday night.

Nash scored 11 points in the opening three minutes of the third quarter that extended the Lions’ five-point halftime lead to 33-20. Senior forward Haris Habibovic contributed 12 points and six rebounds for the Lions (12-5, 4-1 Red-North).

Von Steuben guard Justin Parnell (14 points) converted three three-pointers in the fourth quarter to rally the Panthers (11-4, 4-1). Parnell’s third three-pointer pulled the Panthers within 47-44 with just under a minute to play. Nash responded with a beautiful assist to Greg Tucker (nine points) to push the margin to five points.

Von Steuben’s Nolan Williams drilled a three-pointer to pull the Panthers within 49-47. Tucker converted two free throws with 12.9 seconds to play to seal the victory.

“We knew they were going to make their run, but the thing we never did was lose our composure or intensity,” Nash said. “That was the key.”

Jamal Dantzler scored 14 points for the Panthers and Williams added seven points. Jermaine Hiler contributed eight points.

The Lincoln Park defense limited the high-scoring Panthers to just 25 points in the opening three quarters.

Lincoln Park center Mike Gabriel returned from an ankle injury he suffered at the Big Dipper holiday tournament that forced him to miss his team’s last three games. He recorded nine points and seven rebounds. He made two crucial blocks in the fourth quarter.

“He’s our best rebounder and best big man,” Nash said. “It was important to have him back.”

Thursday Jan 7

No. 14 Von Steuben 69, North Grand 35
Jamal Dantzler (17 points, 12 rebounds) and Jermaine Hiler (12 points, 10 assists) each had double-doubles for Von Steuben (11-3, 4-0). Justin Parnell added 11 points and Mautez Arman had 10 points

Tuesday Jan 5

No. 14 Von Steuben 67, Payton 33
Jamal Dantzler had 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead Von Steuben (10-3, 3-0). Nolan Williams added 12 points.

1. Young 9-0 (1)

Proviso West champs

2. Waukegan 11-3 (5)

Pontiac champs

3. Hales 12-1 (7)

Big Dipper champs

4. Foreman 11-2 (2)

Title game of 2 tourneys

5. Simeon 10-3 (6)

Parker is phenomenal

6. Mount Carmel 12-2 (3)

Finished second at Pekin

7. North Lawndale 9-2 (8)

Bunch is contributing

8. Crete-Monee 9-3 (20)

Nice second-place showing at Dipper

9. Glenbrook North 11-2 (4)

Challenged Young, lost to Von

10. Rich South 12-2 (9)

Lost tough one to Crete-Monee

11. Hillcrest 14-1 (11)

3-1 at Proviso West

12. Morgan Park 10-1 (12)

Face Simeon Wednesday

13. Lyons 12-0 (14)

York champs

14. Glenbard East 11-1 (21)

Elgin champs

15. Von Steuben 9-3 (NR)

Dantzler getting some attention

16. Thornton 8-4 (10)

Made Big Dipper semis

17. Joliet 12-3 (15)

Brian Byrd can play

18. Vocational 13-3 (8)

Host Fenger Wednesday

19. Orr 11-4 (19)

Henry is versatile

20. Deerfield 11-1 (22)

Wheeling champs

21. Neuqua Valley 10-1 (24)

Finished second at Elgin

22. De La Salle 5-5 (25)

Travela to Loyola Tuesday

23. St. Joseph 8-4 (NR)

Gave Young all it could handle

24. Riverside-Brookfield 9-2 (NR)

Finished second at York

25. Maine South 11-2 (17)

Lost to R-B

Waukegan point guard Mike Springs, head wrapped in a bandage to protect a cut that needed 10 stitches, clutching the Pontiac Holiday Tournament championship trophy — that’s the image many fans were left with heading out of Pontiac on Wednesday night.

It was a vibrant reminder of how important the holiday tournaments are to players and fans. For the last two weeks, throughout the state — Proviso West, Pontiac, Rich South, Pekin, Bloomington, Malcolm X College, Centralia, Wheeling, York, Elgin, etc. — players and communities turned out in force to watch high school basketball.

Here’s a rundown of what happened:

MVP: Waukegan’s Jereme Richmond. He led the Bulldogs to the title at Pontiac, averaging 25.5 points and 15 rebounds.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Richmond, Glenbrook North’s Alex Dragicevich, Hales’ Patrick Miller, Foreman’s Mike McCall, Young’s Sam Thompson.

SECOND TEAM: Young’s Anthony Johnson, Foreman’s Lavonte Dority, Von Steuben’s Jamal Dantzler, Deerfield’s Duje Dukan, Crete-Monee’s Ray Lester.

FABULOUS FRESHMEN: Young’s Tommy Hamilton Jr., Simeon’s Jabari Parker, Morgan Park’s Markee Williams, Crete-Monee’s Marvie Keith, Leo’s Russell Woods.

SUPER SOPHS: Hales’ Aaric Armstead, Proviso East’s Trashaun Carroll, North Chicago’s Aaron Simpson, Homewood-Flossmoor’s Tyrone Sherman, Simeon’s Jelani Neely.

SURPRISE STANDOUTS: Joliet’s Brian Byrd, Oswego East’s Jay Harris, Vernon Hills’ DeVaris Daniels, Hales’ Jamie Adams, Von Steuben’s Jamal Dantzler.

BEST REBOUNDERS: Richmond, North Lawndale’s Jermaine Winfield, Marshall’s Vincent Garrett, Notre Dame’s Quinton Chievous, Crete-Monee’s Ray Lester.

BEST SHOOTERS: Oswego East’s Jay Harris, Foreman’s Mike McCall, Prospect’s Joe LaTulip, Young’s Anthony Johnson, Waukegan’s Quan Conner.

BEST POINT GUARDS: Young’s Ahmad Starks, Foreman’s Lavonte Dority, Waukegan’s Mike Springs, Hales’ Jamie Adams, Lincoln Park’s Greg Tucker.

BEST UNSIGNED SENIORS: Von Steuben’s Jamal Dantzler, Lincoln Park’s Mike Gabriel, Hales’ Patrick Miller, North Lawndale’s Jermaine Winfield, Joliet’s Anthony Shoemaker.

PLAYER PROVING THE MOST: Foreman’s Mike McCall. He proved to be a true superstar, leading the Hornets to the championship of the Public League Holiday Tournament and the title game at Proviso West. McCall’s name has to be mentioned in any Player of the Year discussion from here on out.

Foreman 57, Von Steuben 37: Tommy Woolridge wasted little time obliterating his frustration over a personally disappointing performance.

The Eastern Illinois-bound Foreman senior guard scored 16 of his game-high 26 points in the second quarter as the No. 2 Hornets ran past their neighborhood rival Von Steuben Tuesday to advance to their first Proviso West Holiday championship game.

Von Steuben 56, St. Patrick 52: Jermaine Hiler saw a mirror image in St. Patrick.

“We knew they’d come out in that 1-3-1 zone, just like Hillcrest did the other day, so we were used to it,” the Von Steuben senior guard said.

Hiler scored 15 points and distributed eight assists as the Panthers built a 14-point lead and survived a late run by the Shamrocks to win 56-52 in the quarterfinals of the Proviso West Holiday tournament Monday.

Hiler played a flawless opening half. He shot 4-for-4 from the floor, including two three-pointers, in scoring 11 points to help the Panthers (8-2) establish a 26-17 lead at the break.

“We wanted to come out hard, hit some shots to open the game and be aggressive in our attack,” Hiler said.

Hiler made all five of his attempts from the field. In the second half, he became more of a facilitator. In the fourth quarter, he assisted three consecutive baskets, two on beautiful inside feeds that Jamal Dantzler (15 points, six rebounds) converted into a dunk and a layup.

“In the second half, I looked to penetrate and get the ball to our guys on the inside,” he said. Star St. Patrick junior Jacob Williams scored 24 points to lead the Shamrocks’ attack. He scored 15 of his team’s first 22 points.

“We knew about Jacob Williams, and we knew that he’d come out very aggressive and looking for his shot, but we wanted to shut down the other players on their team,” Hiler said.

Senior Nolan Williams scored all 10 of his points in the fourth quarter. Guard Justin Parnell also contributed 10 points for the Panthers. The only downside to their effort was 14 missed free throws in the fourth quarter that enabled St. Patrick to make their late charge.

Julian Reed added 11 points for the Shamrocks (8-3).

Early morning high school basketball games during the holiday season are for die-hards only. The crowds are sparse and the players are often half-asleep.  Von Steuben took major advantage of a sleep-walking Hillcrest squad Saturday, knocking off the undefeated No. 7 Hawks 49-43 at the Proviso West Holiday Tournament.

The Panthers held Hillcrest (11-1) to just two field goals in the second quarter and one in the third.  "That’s just great coaching,” joked Von Steuben coach Vince Carter. “We came out and played them hard. They probably underestimated us—they are still kids. They saw us with the two losses and probably thought it would be a first round cakewalk.”

Carter prepared his players for the early start time, holding some practices at 8 a.m. last week, but he admits that back to back losses at the Public League Holiday Tournament last week (to Farragut and Julian) probably was the motivating factor in the win.  “We had to come out and play hard after those two losses in a row,” Panthers senior Jamal Dantzler said. “And last year we went 0-4 here, so that was on our minds too.”

Von Steuben jumped out to a 14-4 lead and wasn’t seriously threatened until a 6-0 Hillcrest burst in the final 30 seconds of the game cut the lead to four. Senior Justin Parnell sank two free throws with three seconds left to seal the win.

“They like to press and control the tempo,” Carter said. “So we tried to take that from them right from the start. A big key was the rebounding.”  Von Steuben out-rebounded the Hawks 39-28. Hillcrest shot just 13 of 29 from the free throw line.

Dantzler led the Panthers (7-2) with 13 points and Parnell added eight. Senior Jermaine Hiler scored 11 and grabbed four rebounds and four steals.

Julius Brown and Eric Gaines each scored 12 points for the Hawks and Jeremiah Horne added eight.

Von Steuben will face St. Patrick in the first quarterfinal game today.

Player of the game: Jamal Dantzler, Von Steuben, 13 points, 6 rebounds.

Key performers: Von Steuben -- Jermaine Hiler 11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals. Hillcrest -- Eric Gaines 12 points, 10 rebounds, 6 steals.

Panthers go 1-2 in the tourney.  Need to pick up the intensity for Proviso West.

Von Steuben 40, Farragut 51: Floyd Campbell had 8 and Osay Williams 7 for the  Panthers (6-2).

Von Steuben 53, Robeson 48: Justin Parnell had 20 points and Jermaine Hiler 10 for the No. 16 Panthers (6-1).

Von Steuben 52, Julian 55: Jamal Dantzler had 17 points and Jermaine Hiler 19 for the No. 16 Panthers (5-1).

December 7, 2009

Suntimes: # 21 Von Steuben (2-0) NR  Opened with wins over Farragut and Marshall

Freshman boys win their first League game big over Northside Prep Saturday at Foreman HS

Sophomore boys beat Walther Lutheran 47-32 in the Foreman Winter Classic.

Varsity won 58-41 over Providence St. Mel in the Foreman Winter Classic too.  Jamal Dantzler led all scorers with 20 points and 10 rebounds.  Floyd Campbell had 14 points, 7 rebounds. Nolan Williams and Jermaine Hiler both had 10!

Roy and Harv Prep Bullseye....

... 6'4 swing man Jamal Dantzler from Von Steuben High School in Chicago was clearly the MVP in his team's 60-54 win over Farragut, finishing with 20 points and 7 rebounds.  Dantzler has good ball skills, attacks the basket well and excels in the open floor.  He also showed that he is strong enough to post up and score in the paint against defenders who can match him in terms of size and strength.  While Dantzler has garnered some recruiting interest from low major D1 programs, we believe that he would be ideal at the small college level.

Williams Clutch in Panthers Win

Patrick McGavin, Sun Times

Von Steuben coach Vince Carter told his senior guard Nolan Williams that he had to redeem himself.  Williams complied.  His three-point play gave the Panthers the necessary breathing space to fend off Marshall 55-53 in the City-Suburban Basketball Showcase Sunday afternoon at Chicago State.

Williams and senior guard Jermaine Hiler scored 12 points apiece to pace four double figure scorers.  Carter was upset with Williams‘ loose ball handling that resulted in several turnovers that enabled Marshall‘s comeback.

“Coach told me I had to make up for some of the turnovers and mistakes I made, and so that’s what I did,” Williams said.  Williams’ three-point play with 2:20 remaining gave the Panthers (2-0) a 49-43 lead. “I wasn’t trying to do anything really special, but I knew I had to make a play,” Williams said.

Hiler’s free throws and Williams’ play capped a 5-0 Von Steuben surge.

The Panthers also converted nine consecutive free throws in the final quarter to aid their cause. Jamal Dantzler (10 points) made two free throws with 8.8 seconds to seal the victory.

Senior guard Justin Parnell (11 points) also hit a crucial fourth quarter three-pointer. “You knew Marshall wasn’t going to quit out there, and they made their runs, but fortunately we made our own plays as well,” Parnell said.

Von Steuben led wire to wire, building a 37-28 advantage late in the third quarter.

Marshall (0-2) refused to wilt. Behind the play of 6-5 seniors Alfonzo McKinnie (21 points, eight rebounds) and Vincent Garrett (15 points, six rebounds, three assists), the Commandos closed the third with their own 9-2 run.

McKinnie’s jump hook pulled the Commandos within 44-43. Keifer Sykes scored six of his 10 points in the fourth quarter for the Commandos.

The Panthers were led by Jamal Dantzler with 20.  Jermaine Hiler and Justin Parnell had 9.  Nolan Williams 7, Floyd Campbell 6, Ike Sims 5, and Paul Varilla 4, rounded out the scoring.

 Chicago Public League Shootout v Marshall Sunday at Chicago State 11am.

Under the coaching leadership of Coaches Williams and Walker the Sophomore Panthers went 4-2.

Great Job!!!

Monday: Panthers 31 Harper 28

Friday: Panthers 38 Bowen 18; Panthers 43 Fenwick 19; Panthers 23 Young 48

Saturday: Semis: Panthers 48 21st Century 13   Championship: Panthers 43 Curie 58

Brian Stinette 

Class of 2010 Chicago Von Steuben star Jamal Dantzler of the Chicago Demons is in position to see his recruiting stock rise as he prepares to enter his senior year as one of the top players in the Chicago Public League.

Dantzler, a 6'4" shooting guard, is a player who brings size, athleticism and an ability to score to the table. Dantzler is at his best using his slashing to hole, and finishing at the rim.

Chicago Von Steuben head coach Vince Carter noted that Dantzler had a very good spring and summer, and played exceptionally well at the Howard Pulley Tournament in Minneapolis, and also during the July Evaluation Period in Orlando, Florida.

Carter went on to note that scoring the basketball is what Dantzler does best, and that he has focused on getting Dantzler the basketball in areas on the floor where he can use his skills to score.

Dantzler is hearing from a number of schools on the recruiting front including UIC and also Northwestern State in Louisiana. Dantzler can expect to see his list of collegiate suitors grow as he prepares to again team with 6'6" Floyd Campbell on a Von Steuben team that should once again be very good.